"I can’t be bothered arguing with you."
Liu Renming knew he was no match for Lin Jiang in a war of words, so he turned his attention to He Siyao.
"I’m the deputy general manager of this processing plant now. Are you free to have dinner tonight? I think we should have a proper chat."
As he spoke, Liu Renming took his business card out of his pocket.
"This is my business card. If you run into any trouble, you can call me."
"Her family has over two million in debt. Why don’t you help her pay it off?" Lin Jiang said.
Liu Renming: ???
"Can you help me pay it back? If you’re willing to do that, then we can have dinner," He Siyao said, playing along perfectly. The two of them were in perfect sync.
"It seems you’re not the Siyao I used to know. It’s only been a few years since graduation, and you’ve already become so materialistic and obsessed with money. Let’s just forget it."
"Holy shit..."
Lin Jiang couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Trying to pick up girls without spending a dime. You really are a fucking cheapskate."
Lin Jiang pointed at Liu Renming’s Panamera. "Is that car just for show? Is your whole game about getting laid for free?"
Liu Renming’s face turned livid. Just as he was about to erupt, he heard someone call his name.
"Renming."
At the sound of the voice, they all looked over.
It was a familiar face: Li Wuyang.
Seeing him here was both unexpected and perfectly logical.
His family had invested a fortune in Yong’an, and he was gradually taking over the family business. It was only natural for him to come take a look, or even hold a nominal position here.
As he approached, Li Wuyang spotted Lin Jiang, and his expression immediately soured.
He held a grudge against Lin Jiang for helping Qin Zhengqing regain control of Desheng Properties.
He just never expected to run into him here.
"What are you doing here?"
"Catching up with an old classmate," Lin Jiang said with a smile.
"I have other business to attend to, so I won’t keep President Li. We’ll be on our way."
With that, the three of them walked to their car. Lin Jiang muttered to himself,
"First a freeloader, then a simp. What a rotten day."
’A simp?’
Liu Renming glanced at Li Wuyang.
’I guess being called a freeloader is not so bad?’
"What were they doing here?" Li Wuyang asked, his face cold.
"I don’t know. I just came out and saw them," said Liu Renming.
"His name is Lin Jiang. He’s an old classmate of mine who runs some rundown noodle shop. I have no idea where he got a Maybach, but here he is, wandering around."
"He’s more than just a noodle shop owner," Li Wuyang said.
"He owns a company and has a 10% stake in Desheng Properties. His net worth is over a billion."
"What?"
Liu Renming’s eyes widened as he stared at Li Wuyang in astonishment.
"I know his background! He’s just some poor bastard from a small county. How could he possibly be that rich!"
"We’ve been in meetings together. You think I wouldn’t know?"
A profound sense of defeat suddenly washed over Liu Renming.
The immense disparity was too much for him to accept.
Li Wuyang’s expression was grim.
He had a bad feeling.
’A man like Lin Jiang wouldn’t come here without a reason,’ he thought. ’Is he planning something?’
Meanwhile, Lin Jiang and the others had already driven off.
Li Wuyang’s appearance was unexpected, yet it made sense.
Running into Liu Renming, however, was a genuine surprise.
"Look into Liu Renming," Lin Jiang said.
"Got it."
They drove back to the noodle shop, intending to grab a quick bite, but the place was so packed they couldn’t even find a spot to stand. They decided to get dinner elsewhere.
But before they could eat, a message came in from Xu Lin.
Xu Lin: "Have you eaten yet?"
Lin Jiang: "Just about to."
Xu Lin: "Don’t eat out. Come over, I’ll cook for you."
Xu Lin: "Tell me what you want. Anything. Smug.jpg"
Lin Jiang looked at his watch.
Lin Jiang: "Don’t you have to pick up your son? Don’t go to the trouble. I’ll come over after I eat."
Xu Lin: "My mom already picked him up."
Lin Jiang put down his phone and stood up. "Something’s come up. I have to go."
After saying a quick goodbye, Lin Jiang drove to Xu Lin’s home.
Xu Lin was wearing a gray knit dress and a small brown cardigan. Her hair was clipped up, giving her a cozy, domestic look that washed over him.
When she saw Lin Jiang, she bent over to get him a pair of slippers.
Through her loose collar, her large, pale breasts were on full display, revealing their perfect shape.
He could even see their nipples quite clearly.
’She wasn’t wearing a bra. Nice.’
"Come on in."
After straightening up, Xu Lin let her hair down. "You said you liked my braised pork belly last time, so I made it for you again."
He reached out and gave her a pat on the butt.
"Rich but not greasy. It’s my favorite."
"You devil. You can be bad later. Go relax on the sofa for a bit. The pork belly is almost ready."
Xu Lin led Lin Jiang into the living room, where a bowl of washed fruit sat on the table.
More than ten days had passed since his last visit to Xu Lin’s home.
Visiting again, he noticed distinct changes in the home’s decor and personal touches.
It felt much more lived-in.
The most obvious sign was the drying rack by the window. Since she thought no one was coming over, she had hung her lingerie out to dry.
’No wonder the whole room has the air of a sensual young woman,’ Lin Jiang thought. ’It’s coming from here.’
Xu Lin, who was on the floor tidying up Zhao Wenxuan’s toys, smiled and said, "The scent of a sensual young woman doesn’t come from there."
"Then where does it come from?"
"You’ll have to find out for yourself."
After tidying up, Xu Lin went to the kitchen and brought the finished dishes to the dining table.
"Come and eat."
"Okay."
Lin Jiang got up and went to the dining area.
Three dishes and a soup were laid out: braised pork belly, New Orleans-style chicken wings made in an air fryer, garlic bok choy, and a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup. There was also a bottle of red wine that had already been left to breathe.
"Last time you came over, I just threw together some noodles for you. This time, you can really try my cooking."
"Oh, I’m very well aware of how good your skills are."
"I have to make sure you’re satisfied in every way."
Xu Lin poured Lin Jiang a glass of wine. "Here’s to us. Cheers."
"Cheers."
They gently clinked their glasses and each took a small sip.
"I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had a chance to check in. How are things at the shop?" Xu Lin asked.
"Everything’s going well. What about you?"
"I managed to secure the location over the past few days. It’s two floors, totaling over 700 square meters. That should be more than enough for now. All that’s left is to buy the equipment and start hiring."
Xu Lin said,
"I’m planning to pull out of Berkeley. I’ll leave the paperwork and all that to President Lin."
"No problem. Is there anything else you need my help with?"
"Not for the moment," Xu Lin said, propping her chin on her hand as she watched Lin Jiang.
"Ever since you got rid of the competition across the street, I’ve managed to clear out a lot of my inventory. The money I got back should be enough to keep me going for a while."
"Just keep a positive attitude. You might not turn a profit right at the start."
"I’ve made my peace with it. If I lose money, so be it. I can just come back and work for you."
Under the table, Xu Lin’s foot began to rub back and forth against Lin Jiang’s leg. A hazy, seductive smile played in her eyes.
"You wouldn’t turn me away then, would you, President Lin?"
Lin Jiang reached down and caught her small foot in his hand.
"That depends on whether Boss Xu has what it takes to keep me."
"You devil. Hurry up and eat."
"And after?"
"Once we’re full, we can get to work."

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